Jiaqing Zhou,1 Huan Xu,2 Wen Du,1 Lijun Peng1 

1Department of Respiratory Medicine, West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Scientific Affairs, Vision Medicals for Infectious Diseases, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China

Correspondence: Lijun Peng, Department of Respiratory Medicine, West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 17, Section 3, Renmin South Road, Wuhou District, Chengdu, 610041, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13208119408, Email penglijun711@163.com

Abstract: We reported a 51-year-old male electric welder with stage I pneumoconiosis, who had no significant cough, sputum, fever, chest pain, or other discomfort. However, regular physical examination at our hospital revealed bilateral pulmonary nodules with cavity formation. Blood routine, liver or kidney function, and infection-related biomarkers, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT), were normal. Sputum and alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smears, BALF Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) PCR, and T-SPOT.TB were negative. The nucleic acid sequence of Mycobacterium europaeum was detected by BALF metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS), which was confirmed by the subsequent positive culture for NTM. Considering stable conditions, no significant discomfort, and no significant changes in the lung lesion, the patient was diagnosed with inactive nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD).

Keywords: pneumoconiosis, nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease, NTM-PD, Mycobacterium europaeum, metagenomic next-generation sequencing, mNGS